Hi pals! Welcome back to the blog. Today I am sharing with you my book journal layout and what I use to create it! I started this back on January 1st and have actually kept up with it throughout the entire year so I figured this might work for someone else too, might as well share it!
I’ve posted about it on Instagram and TikTok every time I update, and the biggest questions I get are “what are you using to print your stickers?” and “what is your layout. Today I am answering both of those questions.
This post about my book journal does contain affiliate links. They are just links I use from Amazon that allow me to make a small commission off your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me keep the website running and the patterns free. Thank you for using them!
Here’s everything I use for my current book journal:
Canon Ivy Mini Thermal Printer
This Canon Ivy Mini Thermal Printer is one of the best gifts I have ever been given. Last winter I saw a video of someone on TikTok using it for a little scrap book photo album (which I also do in the front of my journal), and I mentioned it once to him. Fast forward to Christmas and I am printing everything.
Zink Thermal Printer Sticker Paper
It’s a thermal printer, so it doesn’t use ink. The printer paper is affordable compared to most printer papers, and if you utilize the app and use the grids they have you can kind of stretch that to really maximize how many photos you get. For my book covers and my photo album I use the 2×2 grid so I get 4 photos off each sheet of paper. It also comes in circles! I haven’t really found a use for those, but they are cool and I have used them to make stickers of my partners logo just to test them out.
Erasable Highlighters
I freaking love anything erasable. Pencils, markers, pens, and now I have added highlighters to the pen cup. These Pilot Erasable Highlighters are personally my favorite. They are mega cheap and this set has lasted me since January so I feel like that’s a good deal. I use these to make the lines I write my info on underneath the book covers and sometimes I go back through and straighten out the lines, the eraser is great for that.
Sharpie Pens
So there’s a reason I use Sharpie Felt Tipped Pens specifically, and that’s because I use the erasable highlighters, so the Sharpie is the only pen I have found that stays put and doesn’t smudge or ruin the paper. I suppose it’s really a marker, but they call it a pen so that’s what I am sticking with for now. :) I think the ones in the photo above are actually these ones, but they cost a little more and some of them have already dried out. Worked great for about 6 months though, and I do use them for more than just this book journal.
Scissors
You don’t need anything fancy, just something to cut the book covers down to size. I use these ones from my yarn stash now because I like the pointy tip, but scissors like these I use for wrapping presents also work. Heck, if you can get it lined up great one of these slicers would work too.
Book Journal
This also doesn’t really matter. If you already have a bullet journal or journal of sorts set up for the year you can totally use that. I use this blank 160 page medium sized journal and have really loved it. I have my “journal” and my trackers for my mental health and memories up in the front, and then I started my book journal from the last page and started working towards the front from right to left. I didn’t know how many books I would read this year so I figured I could just keep using this journal, both in the front and the back, until they meet in the middle. It’s big enough I can probably fit 2-3 years in it, but its small enough that I can still stuff it in my bag and it doesn’t take up the entire thing.
Book Journal Layout
Alright so here is the layout I use. I only track 3 things. The rest of the information is already on my GoodReads, this is more of a physical representation of all of my books. I read way more digitally and audibly than I do physically so this helps me “see” how many books I’ve read or started reading.
Currently I track the rating in stars, the date(s) read, and where I acquired that book from. I have a variety of sources – kindle unlimited, I am an ARC reader for a ton of street teams and publishers – and I request a lot of books on NetGalley. I just like knowing where they came from because once they enter the depths of my Kindle they are all just books.
Alright I think that about covers it all now. If you do have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email – sam@sambartley.com.
Oh, and if you’re looking for other paper crafts I do, check out my Flock Scrapbook post!
Okay, for real this time, love you, byeee!
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